What is a tension pneumothorax and why is it life-threatening?

A tension pneumothorax occurs when excess air becomes trapped in the pleural space surrounding the lung, either from chest trauma or spontaneous lung leakage. The increasing pressure causes the lung to collapse and pushes the mediastinum away from its central position, preventing blood return to the heart and reducing cardiac output. This leads to respiratory failure, hypoxia, and hypotension.

When is needle thoracostomy performed instead of chest tube placement?

Needle thoracostomy is performed as a temporizing measure when patients are deteriorating and chest tube materials are unavailable, such as outside hospital settings or while equipment is being gathered. It provides urgent relief of trapped air until definitive management with tube thoracostomy chest tube placement procedure can be performed in a hospital environment.

How does needle thoracostomy relieve a tension pneumothorax?

Needle thoracostomy involves inserting a large-bore needle or cannula through the chest wall into the pleural space to allow trapped air to escape. If a catheter is unavailable, a long, large-bore needle attached to a syringe can be used to aspirate air directly from the pleural cavity, providing immediate pressure relief.

What equipment can be used to perform needle thoracostomy?

Needle thoracostomy can be performed using a large-bore cannula or catheter, which can remain in the pleural space. Alternatively, if a catheter is not immediately available, a long, large-bore needle attached to a syringe can be used to aspirate air, though the metal needle must be removed after air aspiration to prevent further tissue damage.

What symptoms indicate a patient has a tension pneumothorax?

Tension pneumothorax presents with chest pain, extreme shortness of breath, respiratory distress, and respiratory failure. Patients also experience hypoxia, tachycardia, and hypotension. These severe symptoms indicate the patient is in extremis and requires emergency needle decompression to restore normal breathing and cardiac function.

Why must a metal needle be removed after needle thoracostomy?

A metal needle cannot remain in the pleural cavity because its sharp tip may cause additional tissue damage to the lung or surrounding structures. After air is aspirated using a needle and syringe, the needle must be withdrawn from the chest wall, leaving only the catheter in place if one was used.

How does air in the pleural space affect lung function and circulation?

Air trapped in the pleural cavity causes the lung to separate from the chest wall and collapse, disrupting normal breathing mechanisms. The increasing pressure also displaces the mediastinum, including the heart and great vessels, preventing blood from returning to the heart and significantly reducing cardiac output, leading to shock.

Needle Thoracostomy

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1. Assessment of the patient

Place the patient on a monitor and review for tachycardia, tachypnea, hypoxia or hypotension.
Perform general inspection, observing patients for tachypnea, shallow respirations, and inability to speak full sentences. Note tracheal deviation, distension of neck veins, or cyanosis, which are later findings heralding tension pneumothorax that will deteriorate into cardiorespiratory arrest.
Auscultate both lungs to discriminate decreased or absent breath sounds on the affected side from the normal breath sounds of the non-affected side. Note that the chest wall may fail to rise appropriately compared to the normal lung, and may be hyperresonant on percussion.
Stabilize the airway, breathing, and circulation of a rapidly deteriorating patient by performing critical interventions, like intubation or vasopressor support prior to (or simultaneously with) needle decompression and chest tube placement.

2. Needle decompression

Equipment: chlorhexadine or betadine solution; a 14- or 16-gauge catheter that is at least 2.5 inches, or 6.4 centimeters, in length—or longer, depending on the patient’s chest wall thickness; tape

Administer supplemental oxygen with nasal cannula or a non-rebreather mask
Place the patient in a supine flat position or (if possible) seated with the head of bed elevated to 45˚ angle, dependent on patient comfort.
Identify the second intercostal space on the affected side (the second rib corresponds with the angle of Louis formed by the junction of the manubrium and the sternum). Follow the second rib to the mid-clavicular line.
Sterilize the second intercostal space in the mid-clavicular line using alcohol, chlorhexadine, or betadine solution.
Place the long large-bore cannula (or angiocatheter) onto a sterile field and don sterile gloves.
Perform the needle decompression. Insert the long large-bore cannula (or angiocatheter) at a 90˚ angle to the chest wall in the mid-clavicular line, second intercostal space above the third rib, to avoid damaging neurovascular structures that lie immediately below each rib. The placement of the cannula bevel does not matter.
To reach adequate depth, insert the cannula to nearly its hub. Insertion should be done in one motion and may require forceful entry. A "pop" will be felt when the needle penetrates the pleura, and a rush or "hissing" of air through the needle will be audible.

3. Needle decompression with a cannula attached to a 10 mL syringe.

Needle decompression may also be performed using a 10 mL syringe, which can offer better grip when puncturing the chest wall and pleural. There are two methods to do this:

Using an empty syringe:
1. Attach an empty syringe to the cannula and puncture the pleura as described above.
2. Remove the syringe when the air escaping the pneumothorax pushes the syringe's plunger up, and air is easily aspirated-confirming appropriate depth.
Using a syringe half-filled with fluid
1. Attach a 10 mL syringe half-filled with saline or water to the cannula.
2. Leave about 1 mL of air between the fluid and the syringe's plunger.
3. Perform needle decompression, and when the pleura is punctured, the pneumothorax will cause the water in the syringe to bubble.
Remove the syringe and the metal needle of the cannula so that only the plastic catheter remains.
Secure the catheter with tape.
Reassess the patient for clinical improvement. This is signified by patient appearance of less discomfort or agitation, fuller respirations taken, ability to speak more complete sentences, less tachypnea or tachycardia, improvement in hypoxia, resolving tracheal deviation, and improvement in blood pressure.
If the patient's condition does not improve, repeat needle decompression by inserting another long large-bore cannula adjacent to the first one. Alternatively, you can move straight to chest tube placement.
The above procedure may also be performed in the anterior axillary or mid-axillary line at the level of the fourth or fifth intercostal space. The nipple designates the approximate level of the fifth intercostal space.
1. Sterilize the anterior to mid-axillary skin lateral to and above the nipple using chlorhexadine or betadine. Make the area of sterilization a wide field.
2. Place the patient with head and chest elevation to 45˚, which will lower the diaphragm and decrease risk of abdominal injury.
3. Plunge the cannula into the chest cavity between the anterior to mid-axillary lines above the fifth or sixth rib. Avoid penetration into the abdominal cavity by choosing a more superior insertion site.
4. Insertion will generate a "pop" when pleura is punctured, followed by an audible rush of air.
Prepare for definitive chest tube placement